Travel bucket list idea:
Drive or cycle the Flower Route
Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
Last updated: 06 February, 2024
Come springtime, western Holland explodes into colour, with blooming daffodils, narcissi, dahlias, lilies – and of course, tulips – blanketing the low-lying fields.
This 44-mile route, which starts in Haarlem and stretches south through Leiden to the village of Naaldwijk, takes you past vast fields dense with a glorious array of flowers – especially in and around Lisse, home to the famed Keukenhof Gardens.
Along the way, vendors set up stalls selling bunches of locally cultivated blooms. Drive or cycle all or part of the picturesque route, and give yourself plenty of time to stop and smell the flowers!
Logistics
Price: Free
Minimum age: 0
Age suitable: 18+
When: All year around
Duration: 3 hours
Getting there & doing it
The gateway to the flower route, Haarlem lies 20 miles west of Amsterdam. The 44-mile drive from Haarlem to Naaldwijk takes about two hours round-trip by car, but you’ll want to factor in plenty of time for snapping photos and exploring pretty villages along the way—and account for bottlenecks around Keukenhof Gardens during peak blooming season (generally mid-April to early May).
If you’re cycling, Haarlem to the Keukenhof Gardens takes about three hours round-trip; most bike rental shops have cycling maps available. While the paths are flat, keep in mind that Holland can be quite windy and rainy in spring.
An easier option is to hop on a bus from Amsterdam to Keukenhof and rent a bike there to explore the surrounding fields. There are four Keukenhof area cycling routes, ranging from 5km to 25km, and all are all marked with easy-to-follow, colour-coded signage.
When to do it
A variety of flowers start blooming in mid-March and continue through mid-May (though this may vary, depending upon nature). The height of tulip season is generally mid-April to early May. Avoid weekends and holidays, when traffic is busiest.
